Thursday, July 23, 2015

A Friendly Engagement by Christine Warner Blog Tour

It's my pleasure to welcome Christine Warner who is here to tell us about her new release. First, she has a wonderful story of how she met her special guy.

Christine Warner

Author of A Friendly Engagement, book one in the Friends
First Novel series

I love hearing “meet” stories. How other couples, well, went
from one to two. I’ve heard some touching ones that have melted my heart, funny
ones that made me laugh so hard I cried, and others that told the story of a
bit of indifference at first meeting and took years to cultivate, starting with
a single moment in time where a spark was lit and an attraction born.

I love them all!

Today I wanted to share my “meet” story because I think it
has a touch of uniqueness that always makes me smile.

One of my good friends was going through some rough times
with her husband. They’d split up, but had decided to get back together. So,
her husband’s co-worker and good friend—let’s call him Ken—decided to rent a
limo and go bar hopping to celebrate. Of course my friend didn’t want an odd
number so she asked if she could bring a friend along.

Do you see where this is leading? Lol

Right away Ken was concerned that this wouldn’t be tagged a
date. My friend assured him that it wouldn’t be. It would just be more fun
rounded off to an even number. So, he agreed. The more the merrier, right?

Right away she called me and asked if I wanted to head downtown
in a limo and hit all the hot spots. Of course I said yes, but after I found
out a few more details, I made sure she knew that this wasn’t a date. I’d just
broken up with a guy not long before and I really wasn’t interested in starting
something new. I wanted to have some fun, not anything serious. So, of course
she assured me that the word “date” wouldn’t be mentioned. After I breathed a
sigh of relief, I agreed.

Do you think my friend was being sneaky? Lol

So, long story short—or at least as short as I can make
it—the two not-interested-in-a-date-types hit it off. We laughed and talked all
night—and had a few too many drinks I’m sure.

At one of the bars we were having such a good time that the
bartender asked what the occasion was. I instantly told him it was double
engagement party. Can you say “one to many”? lol Why I even blurted that out I
have no idea, I guess I was just being a shit. Anyway, after I said that, Ken
asked what it would take for me to really marry him.

Yes, I know, this was the first night.

I told him the only way I’d marry him was if he proposed
with a karat. Heck, why not right? It’s not like he was serious so I might as
well go for it. Plus, karat diamond engagement rings run in my family. Lol

Fast forward two weeks—or it might have been three—and Ken
and I are dating up a storm and having a great time. He picked me up from work
to take me to lunch at Pizza Hut. At the time I was slightly addicted to their
personal pan pizzas. YUM! And lo and behold he pulls out a gift for me.

He’d had a chunk of gold molded into a carrot—yes, as in the
vegetable not the diamond weight. (Don’t you love his play on words with that
one?) I absolutely loved it, and fell even harder than I already had. Talk
about romance. To me, that was romance at its finest.

A month after I met Ken we moved in together. Four months
after we met we eloped—yep two crazy kids. Lol Eight months after we met we
found out we were having a baby. And ten months after we met we bought our
first house.

That’s a lot happening in one year.

I’m proud to report that twenty-six years later we’re still
together. There have been ups, downs, and all arounds, but somehow we’ve made
it work. I’d have to say our ability to laugh has carried us through a lot.

And just think—it all started with a limo ride that wasn’t a
date, a few laughs, one to many, and an extraordinary gift of a necklace.

Omar
Esterly is married to his job. But when Omar sets his sights on a
potential, family-oriented client, his confirmed bachelorhood becomes a
problem. Fortunately, his friend and employee, Devi Boss, has the
perfect plan...

Okay, so it wasn't exactly Devi's
plan to become her friend's fake fiancée. Lies aren't her style.
However, Omar offers her a big, beautiful raise - enough to track down
the missing father she's never known - and Devi reluctantly agrees to
the whole engagement hoax...

This was
supposed to be a no-strings-attached win-win for both Devi and Omar, but
when they cross the line between friendship and...well, something more,
Devi realizes she's made a huge mistake that just might cost her both
job and friend - falling for her fiancé.

Excerpt

“I’m glad you approve. How about you? Fantasies?”

At the moment her fantasy was stripping down naked and letting him
have his way with her. Damn, if he didn’t make a move soon, she might
take the reins and have her way with him. Screw not making the first
move. She’d push him back against the mattress and climb aboard. Being
on top definitely had advantages. Goose bumps erupted on her flesh at
the thought. She wanted him, but she didn’t realize the intensity until
now.

From over his
shoulder the television caught her eye. Her favorite part in the movie
filled the screen. “I do have a fantasy. Kind of a silly one.”

“Now you have to share.”

“Mine involves a superhero. He’d hang upside down from the building,
I’d remove his mask just enough to reveal his lips, and we’d kiss—of
course all of this would happen after he came to my rescue.”

“Would you tell him he’s amazing?”

She felt her face heat, again. “Of course.”

“And that’s all? I would bet money you’d fantasize about more than a kiss.”

A bubble of laughter escaped. “You got me. Afterward he’d carry me to a
romantic oasis by the water, he’d give me the most incredible foot
massage, and we’d make passionate love on a bed littered with rose
petals—in assorted colors.”

“Rose petals?”

“Oh yeah. I’m sure I’m not the only one with this fantasy. If you’re
going to do it, you might as well enjoy it with a superhero. Plus, this
is my fantasy. I get it the way I want.”

“Nice to know about your superhero, but I revealed a fantasy about
you. I thought you’d reciprocate.” The teasing quality left his voice,
and his eyes darkened as they circled the obvious peaks of her nipples
through her bathing suit cover-up.

She swallowed. How the hell could he turn her on with just a few
words, or looks? “Who said I don’t think of you as my superhero? After
all, you rescued me from painful feet and carried me upstairs…”

Christine
Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three
children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.

Besides
laughing and a good round of humor, Christine enjoys spending time with
her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmitic. A confessed
people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday
activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and
determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.

A
girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, Christine
enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on Facebook, Twitter and
her website.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction.
For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

I loved reading your "meet" story. I met my husband on a blind date. First and last blind date I ever went on. LOL Our friends must have know what they were doing because Hubs & I have been together 43 years.